April/May/June 2012 Moomies

Congrats StaceySmey!


Adele, glad to hear you're feeling a bit better. I also need to pack my bags, and actually buy a diaper bag first! Sounds like you've had a hectic last weekend, hope you get some time to rest this weekend. I'm sure your last 3kg have been baby weight that's what I keep telling myself. Hope hubby's shoulder op goes well!

I was so pleased with myself because I've been religiously applying bio oil twice a day on my belly and thought I'd escaped stretch marks and was home free...until last week when suddenly at 34.5 weeks a whole lot of little ones appeared and are growing, lol. Oh well.

There's a baby expo here tomorrow night so dh and I are going to that and I'm hoping that we'll be able to get a good deal on a pram and car seat. They won't let you leave the hospital here if you don't have a car seat (even if you don't have a car!). It seems that ALL the car seats here are rear facing - I don't recall seeing rear facing car seats back home..I'm not sure how keen I am to be driving around back home and having baby in the back seat facing the back of the car.

Morning Everyone,

Still very quiet here!

For those who don't know yet, Congratulations to StaceySmey with the birth of her gourgeous baby boy on Friday. Weighed in at 3.26kg and 51cm. Hope he brings you lots of joy!

Ronel, less than a month to go! Good luck with this last stretch. When are you going on Maternity Leave?

2kidmamma, Shame, its sounds like baby is really punishing mommy! Have you at least stopped working? How was the maternity shoot?

Firefly, YAY, exams are over. I have been feelling better, thanks. Sinusses just stays blocked these day, making sleep even more difficult!! I also need to buy the pram. Other than that, I am pretty settled. Haven't packed my bags though or wash the baby clothes

Anni, sounds like you have been really busy this last couple of weeks. When are you moving to the US?

I haven't have much time for myself yet. This weekend we went to the inlaws for a visit, and it turned out to be another hectic weekend. This also marked our last weekend away before baby comes.

Hubby is going for a shoulder operation on Thursday. Luckily it is not a huge op and he should be out the same day or early the next morning.

On Friday I get to see baby again, it feels like forever since my last appointment.

I picked up 3kgs in this last 2 weeks I know, before this I picked up nothing! It aint good for my self esteem

How is everybody else doing?

Hey Anni


My hypnobabies is going great though I've been a bit lazy with practicing, I think I started it too early in my pregnancy and now I'm losing a bit of steam. But it's amazing how the light switch and the tracks really work! I'm also working on my "Birth Preferences" list, though my midwife suggested we keep it to a page so its easy to read - the hypnobabies book has a section on birth plans, though you probably haven't reached it yet.
Your hospital sounds lovely! I think the delivery rooms at my one have views of the Charles River and the Boston skyline. I also decided not to go with a doula, I think I'm just too private and hopefully having dh (who I made read the hypnobabies book and who has been doing his scripts with me) and my mom will be enough.

Yep, the online shopping is awesome but also frightening coz its just TOO easy to shop! I'm actually going to try to cloth diaper so at the moment I'm online ordering my cloth diaper stash.

2kmm - I think I'm going to order at least half of my cloth diapers from alvababy.com - have you heard of them? I thought I'd let you know coz they're the cheapest that I have come across ( because they're made in China) and I've read a lot of reviews saying that the quality is actually quite good. They're about $5 each for pocket diapers whereas most of the major American brands are between $15 and $30 each! Perhaps you could look into them for doodlebums? They would make cloth nappies SO much more affordable in SA too!

My parents are arriving in about a week and a half, they're coming for my graduation on the 24th and then are staying on until baby is born. I think I'm in nesting mode now, I just want to pack and clean and buy and organize. Although I am also feeling SO lazy and sleepy most of the day so the nesting isn't going too effectively!

Hello all,

Thought I would pop in here... gosh its been 4 weeks already. At least I know I don't have any sort of forum addiction .

Seems like some of you have had your bubs already. Hope you guys doing well and that your LO's are settling down.

AdeleF, Have you found the red raspberry leaf tea anywhere? I have been drinking 2 cups a day religiously and am feeling loads of BH. I don't think I can do 4 a day from 36 weeks so I am ordering the capsules online this week. I found that laying on my left eases the heartburn and if that fails then loads of gaviscon... I have started drinking it straight from the bottle as it takes too long to go the kitchen and get a spoon.

Firefly, glad to see your exams are over. Must be such a relief and now you can focus on baby stuff. Thats what I love about US... you can just order your stuff online and it gets delivered within 2-3 days. Such convenience. My DH's cousin says he even orders all his nappies online! I would probably do that as well.
Wanted to find out from you about how your Hypnobabies course is going? I was very slow to start up and now suddenly realising that I have just over 6 weeks left before my guess date and I am only on Class 2. I just feel so amazing after doing a session. I feel like I am getting the light switch right and can definitely get into self hypnosis using this technique.

So much has been going on right now I just don't know where to start.
* Did my 32 week scan and everything looks good to go. Bubs is head down, approx weight 1976g but that can be wrong as there is no way to tell the real weight of the baby. Her face shape looks like her sister already.
* Busy interviewing doulas at the moment but now having second thoughts on whether I want one there during such an intimate time in my life.
* Did the hospital tour of the L&D and post partum wards. I keep on getting such rave reviews about the hospital we chose and the midwives all seemed great. I know I am in safe hands now. Birthing rooms are massive and there are at least 12 of them. You can either get a view of the tallest tower in the world or the Dubai creek. Still deciding which view I would want while I welcome my nunus into this world.
* Still tweaking up my 6 page birth wishes plan!
* Doctor has been great and so supportive with all my queries. But somehow everyone keeps on talking about taking an epidural. I really want to do this naturally. I do believe that its even euphoric for some women. We will see when we get there but I really want to move around during labour and maybe even have an oops baby is coming moment standing in the shower (no tubs in any of the hospitals here unfortunately). Gravity is your friend when giving birth
* No more steak from the Butcher Shop for me anymore. Somehow this bubs doesn't like it and it makes me sooooo ill afterward.
* Started buying nappies every time I go to do my groceries. The last time pampers proved to be the worst ones here so I am just buying a few different brands. I eventually started using the Carrefour ones with DD (C4 is a massive french hypermarket here). FF good luck with the cloth diapering. I guess I would go that route if I had domestic help permanently but its no fun cleaning up poo nappies as well as clothing, bedding etc during those first few months.
* Been bouncing on my gym ball and even sitting on it and ironing or watching TV.
* Weather has been crazy already! Went up to the mid forties already. Don't know whats going to happen by the end of June.
* Going for prenatal Pilates this week and have sourced out info on having acupuncture closer to my guess date.
* Sister's ticket has been booked so I have family here during my birthing time.
* The girls wanted to throw a baby shower for me but it just doesn't make sense to me since I have loads of stuff from DD's time and I am moving countries soon so we just going to have lunch at PF Changs (best ever Chinese restaurant here!).
* Finally sold the Quinny Buzz 3 for R1700 (bought it for about 4k then) but just hated how heavy and inconvenient it was. I ordered the Maxi Cosi Mila online this week. I guess that will do until we move to US as I am still eyeing the iCandy.

Phew... I think thats all

Hi ladies

Just popping in to say I had my scan today and baby is head down - yay! We've been running around finally getting all the baby things we need. Still need to buy the pram, nappy bag, baby monitor and my cloth diapers but we will probably end up ordering all of that online (I LOVE that it's so easy to do that in this country!). Although I still like to check things out in person because it's not always so easy to tell how big/heavy something is online.

2kmm - your photographer's portfolio looks lovely, I'm sure you're going to enjoy the shoot. Your pinched nerve sounds sore! I wanted to ask you if you find that the soap nuts work effectively on the cloth nappies? I was going to order them off amazon but read a review which says they didn't take work so well for cloth diapers, so now I'm not sure.

Ronel - good luck finishing off your work!

Adele - how are you feeling? Hopefully you're beating the flu! I'm also sorting out baby stuff this week. We just washed some of his newborn and 0-3 months clothes (his socks are so tiny, made me melt) and got some basics like blankets, wash cloths, toiletries, dummies, bottles..

Hi everybody

It's absolutely rediculously hectic here. So much going on!

Congrats on finishing the exams Firefly, I am sure that you are really releived. I also have one of those preggy body pillows, got one quite a while back. Don't actually use it all the time because my Son sleep shares with us and so there is not much space in our bed. But I have so much trouble with my back etc now with the pinched nerve and such that I really do need to use it. I saw a physio the other day but the only thing that helps is lying with my legs raised and being able to sleep in other positions other than my left side which is not possible right now. So looks like the nerve issues will only resolve once baby is born. It's all neural though not vascular which is good news.

Ronel, our time is near now. I was at the Gynie today too, My Dates are 34 weeks 5 days, the US GA is 36 weeks and the Estimated weight is 3Kg's This is a big baby. I am starting to wonder if it isn't maybe a boy.

We are still booked in for 28 May but will have to see becasue I am getting quite severe pains etc, he checked and said that my blood vessels are hugely dilated and that is what is causing all the pain. Baby has engaged also.

I had my Baby Shower on Saturday which was really really nice. Got quite spoilt. This Saturday we have our maternity shoot scheduled. I left it really late for some reason. I booked a special package where you pay a reduced fee if you take the Preggy shoot, newborn shoot and baby 3mth to 1 year. So I only pay R1500.00 The photogropher is is Melissa van Zyl. Here is her link www.melissavanzyl.co.za/

Okay well got to get going again, feel like time is running out here and I am not going to get everything done.

Hi Ladies

Sorry for being MIA, things are just hectic at work. Trying to finish everything before my maternity leave. Saw gynea again this morning. I am 34w4d and baby is about 2.5kg. My c-sec is now scheduled for the 5th of June in the afternoon.

Keep well